There seems to be a rapidly growing number of health-focused products out there. It can get confusing to know which ones will work and which are just get-rich-quick scams. Mark Cuban, a business guru and judge on the hit show Shark Tank, expressed his frustration with healthcare products promising results not backed by sound science, particularly when it comes to vitamins and supplements. Continue reading Mark Cuban’s Take on “Health Gimmicks”

The role of visual performance factors in sports has received a fair amount of attention over the years, but many athletes still have limited access to evaluation and enhancement approaches. In this series, Graham Erickson, OD, FAAO, FCOVD, discusses ways to assess vision and visual processing, how to train for improved sports vision, and the impact nutrition can have on this skill.

The response of many people who hear about gaming as a competitive sport is a scoff, a chuckle, or downright disbelief, but esports is a serious gig. The industry itself earned more than $1 billion in 2019, and there are 80 US colleges with varsity esports teams with 22 offering scholarships. These teams can practice anywhere from 3 to 10 hours a day, which is a long time to do any activity. While there seem to be no immediate physical concerns that go along with other athletics like concussions or broken bones, there are several health risks that need to be considered and monitored for those who are into gaming at any level. Continue reading The Health Risks of Esports

November is recognized at National Diabetes Awareness Month, and the 14th of November is National Diabetes Awareness Day. There are few conditions that take a toll on the body the way diabetes does. From the inner working of vital organs to extremities like toes and fingers, many bodily functions can be impacted. To help bring about awareness, we’re sharing some information about diabetes.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a health issue that affects insulin production and blood sugar absorption in the body. It’s estimated that over 30 million Americans have diabetes, and there are many more who don’t know they have it yet. There are 2 types of diabetes.

Type 1 – caused by genetics and environmental factors like viruses, and the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. This type usually has a quick onset of symptoms in the younger years of life, but it can arise at any time.

Type 2 – caused by factors like genetics, family history, obesity, or physical inactivity. About 95% of cases diagnosed are Type 2 diabetes. Symptoms usually develop over several years and may not be noticed by patients until they experience a related health problem.

Symptoms

Increased thirst, hunger, and/or urination

Fatigue

Blurred vision

Numbness or tingling in the feet or hands

Sores that won’t heal

Unexplained weight loss

Prediabetes

Before developing type 2 diabetes, many patients will have prediabetes. Prediabetes is categorized by elevated blood sugar levels. Prediabetes affects 1 in 3 U.S. adults, and many of them are unaware of the possible health issues that are just around the corner for them. It’s possible for sugar in the blood to reach very high levels and stay elevated for two or more years with little to no symptoms, and prediabetes is relatively symptom-free. In fact, you can go 5-10 years without knowing you have prediabetes or diabetes. It’s up to you and your primary care physician to have bloodwork done to identify any possible concerns.

Diabetes & Eye Health

Diabetes affects many parts of the body, including the eyes. The eyes are very delicate, with intricate nerve and blood vessel highways intertwining and working together to bring us sight. When the blood sugar levels are elevated, they start to take a toll on these fragile roadways. Diabetes usually affects visual function first, reducing the ability to see vibrant colors, in dim light situations, or peripherally.

As the damages get worse, it causes leaks and ruptures in the blood vessels and harms the nerves. Healthcare professionals refer to this damage as diabetic retinopathy, and it’s not a question of if but when those with diabetes will develop retinopathy. Practitioners categorize diabetic retinopathy as nonproliferative (mild to moderate) and proliferative (moderate to severe). As the bleeding worsens, black spots fill the visual perspective, blocking out what you can see. By this time, the damage has been done.

Be Proactive with Diabetes Care

The best way to avoid the long-term damages of diabetes is early detection and intervention. Annual visits to your primary care physician and eye doctors can help identify any changes in your vision or health before the destruction becomes irreversible. More than visiting doctors once a year, actively changing your lifestyle can dramatically decrease the odds of diabetes developing or worsening.

Lifestyle Changes

Eating better and exercising are the two most common and impactful suggestions for improving health and reducing the impact of diabetes. Another addition that can help, specifically to support eye health, is an eye vitamin. EyePromise DVS is specifically designed to support eye health for patients with diabetes. The best part? EyePromise DVS has been formulated to not impact blood sugar levels!

Diabetes is a continually growing problem affecting more and more Americans. The Vision Health Initiative (VHI) Report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the rate of Americans aged 40 years and older with vision issues associated with diabetes will triple from 2005 to 2050. With this increase, eye care professionals run a higher risk of encountering patients who knowingly or unknowingly have diabetes and may suffer from eye health issues as a result.

Our founder, Dennis Gierhart, PhD, knew that zeaxanthin was an important ingredient for eye and brain health, but he had no idea the impact it could have on performance. Through clinical trials, he and his colleges proved that EyePromise nutraceuticals improve not only visual function like light sensitivity and glare recovery, but reaction time and processing speeds, too. Because of this, Dr. Gierhart decided to get involved in sports and partner with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Fall League. Continue reading Arizona Fall League Update

Eighty percent of Americans use digital devices like computers, phones, TVs, and tablets for at least 2 hours a day, with 67% using 2 or more devices at once. Two hours is often all it takes for someone to experience screen time symptoms. In fact, 92% of one survey’s respondents reported experiencing tired eyes, headaches, and eye strain from device use. Continue reading Get Proactive with Computer Vision Syndrome